If you're late 50s/early 60s and semi retired/retired

[ifonly4]

If you've taken early retirement/cut back hours from say 57 onwards, what does your week look like? No way, do either of us want to go back to full-time working, but I sometimes feel I want something more and DH says he's bored sometimes (I'm not).

The last week, we've:

Sat: DH gym, me walk around local nature reserve. Watched a joint sport we follow, which sometimes involves events we can take part in in person.

Sunday - my one day of work. DH local hill walk

Monday - Clubbercise for me/gardening later, DH gym and painting shed

Tuesday, Plates for me, then later a bike ride stopping off for coffee. DH met friend for coffee, then did a volunteering activity (which he wants to give up).

Wednesday - I met a friend for coffee. DH short walk. Played games with DH in afternoon, then he made scones.

Today - we're taking a sandwich and going on a walk - probably be out 3/4 hours. No doubt, DH will entice me into a pub or cafe along the way.

Tomorrow - Clubbercise, will probably drop DH off in town where he's having drinks with friends - I often pop in to have a catch up (we all get on really well), but go off for coffee on my own/a potter around town.

Inbetween, I do the housework/love reading - my book is literally at my side at all times. DH will do one the odd practical household thing, go off for a walk on his own, is trying to self teach himself a language. Different weeks, we'll be seeing different friends, or do a couples thing.

I work 3.5 days in my late 50s. I am a school governor which can mean anything from 0 to 10 hours work a week on top (10 is fairly rare but average 1-2 in termtime). We have one DC at home (working), one at uni and 3 living parents.

So the last week:

Friday: housework/admin, visit parents (hour round trip plus time spent, altogether out 3 hours), an hour at the allotment. an hour of reading for governors.

Saturday: day out in London with a friend 8 till 5. Straight to the allotment for an hour when I got home.

Sunday: visit FIL (2 hours each way) plus 3 hours there.

Monday: work, governor meeting.

Tuesday: work, choir

Wednesday: work, barre class, gym

Thursday: 1/2 day work, gave a DC a lift somewhere, shopping, going to the theatre tonight.

I have several ad-hoc volunteering roles that I can dip in and out of when time permits. I slot exercise classes into any gaps in my week. No one I know my age has retired but quite a few work PT, I sometimes meet one of them in the week, also errands and appointments. When I do retire I will probably do more volunteering, mainly in the outdoor environment, I do some of this now and have throughout my adult life. I would also like to have more weekends away and holidays.

Fully retired a year ago at 60 with dh. Some routine with exercise classes and picking up grandchildren from school. I like listening to radio 4 and doing arts and crafts plus long walks, visiting National Trust properties. I don't particularly like routine as that's when life gets boring. I love the freedom and hope to never work again, I don't even want to do volunteering at the moment but that might change.

I retired at 57 and my OH (who is 3yrs younger than me) dropped down to 2-days/week.

Life is great.
We are financially secure, our time is pretty much our own and we are free to do what we want, when we want to.
The biggest enjoyment is waking up when I want to (or when Ddogs decide it is time!) and not having to set an alarm.
Leisurely breakfast, potter around the house before going out with Ddogs.
Trips can be arranged on the spur of the moment when we know how we feel and (more importantly), what the weather is like. We were at the coast in our Moho last week and next week (weather permitting) we will pop across to Herefordshire for a few days.

I think it is quite nice that my OH remained working 2-days as it gives the week some structure, without that one day really would merge into the next.

I am EXTREMELY lucky to still be healthy so I do everything I can to keep things that way. Writing is such a sedentary occupation, if I didn't force myself to go out I could easily sit down all day!

I retired in my late 50s but partly for health reasons as I have a condition which causes a lot of pain and fatigue.

I spent the first 6 months sitting on the sofa rather dazed and wondering what happened! I'd thought a good fortnight would help me recover some energy and equilibrium but it took so much longer.

That was coming up for 3 years ago and I'm still not sure what I want or where I am going to be honest. Having said that, the last 12 months have been really horrendous with significant changes in important relationships, unexpected home repairs involving having to move out for a while, bereavement and friends with difficulties including a terminal diagnosis.

I enjoy helping to look after my grandchildren but apart from that I'm still working out what I want from this next section of life. I think I need to get into some kind of better routine for sure and in time I think it will involve creative things and something that means I'm adding to the community but I'm not sure yet what!

Retired during covid aged 58. Loathed where I worked so was glad to get out. Love my life. Housework (which I love). Washing and cleaning. Supermarket shopping and clothes shopping online. Reading. Tv dramas. Cooking. Ds2 still living at home so I make sure his room/office is clean and tidy. Drinks some evenings. Not having to be up at silly o’clock for a parking space. New baby grandson who I see every week. Short breaks to Brighton. Never been happier x

Thanks for your replies, it's interesting to read what others do and suggestions.

I definitely do not want to get another job. DH has a serious health scare before Xmas and my DH had passed away before he was my age, so want to enjoy being at home rather than pressures and problems at work - I still have a one a week job that I hate and dread.

About 70% of our friends have retired, so that's good for us. I do think I need something else - not sure what - there's only two lots of volunteering that interest me locally, one there's a long waiting list for and the other I'd hate to do in the winter as I can't stand getting too cold. There's also a club I'm really interested in, but definitely for those in their mid 60s-mid 70s. It's just finding something else that inspires me.

Despite my post, I really enjoy exercise and reading (I can sometimes be found cooking and reading!), also being able to stay in bed until 7am (cats permitting!) and not having to rush in the morning.

Today I've only fed the cats and cleaned the bathroom (I don't care). Clubbercise lined in soon, and I need to hoover/do a food shop, town. Decided I'm going to start a jigsaw, I find them addictive so that'll take up the next 48 hours and DH won't see me😂.

I will reture this year. I have joined a book group and already volunteer with a local charity. I will join in some U3A activities when I retire and explore more of the UK, finances permitting.

Retired properly last year but semi retired 8 years ago at 58. Never bored. Dont volunteer.

Semi retired and went freelance at 58. Now 60 and work 2 days a week (Mon and Thurs), look after grandkid on Wednesdays. Tuesdays and Fridays are my days off so I go the housework, generally go for a long dog walk, and often have a look round the local charity shops or in town.DH is still working full time as he’s a bit younger. Saturdays we play pickleball and Sundays usually we have a drive somewhere or see the family. It’s a lovely life, I’m very fortunate

God, reading this made me feel very lazy.

Tea in bed reading until 10 am for me! I've always loathed getting up early, it makes me feel physically sick. So I never do it anymore.

I own two holiday cottages in my garden, so probably do 25 hours a week on them, but the actual work is pretty mind numbing What I hate is the sheer amount of 'jobs' I have to do, cleaning, laundry, gardening. It's just constant. And then doing your own domestic tasks on top can easily fill the day

I exercise 3 times a week. My ideal day is lying on a sunbed reading frankly. The more I can do that the better!

I retired three weeks ago! DH retired three years ago. I have Long Covid so am quite restricted in terms of what I do particularly when I’m in a flare.

Activities we do together:

days trips (mainly to London but also the local area)
travelling (when I’m well)
badminton (also when I’m well!)
jigsaw puzzles
gardening

Activites I do alone:
choir (I am treasurer too)
sewing classes
art group
seeing friends for coffee, walks lunch etc
seeing family
reading

DH does the cooking and I do the cleaning. We manage the garden together the difference being he doesn’t really enjoy it whilst it is my passion! I love growing things from seed for example.

Then there will be jobs around the house, decluttering, decorating etc. We are never bored, but my health issues mean we are not really living our best lives all the time which is frustrating. I am trying to make my peace with it.

I really thrive on routine, it doesn't have to be the same routine every day or every week but I like to have things in my diary every day, I can't remember the last time I got up to a completely free day, I'd just fritter it away and waste it (my perception). So I'm definitely happy to keep working for a few more years and then do lots of volunteering. But I know it's not for everyone, I'm lucky that I still really enjoy my work. The only issue is that we never do anything on the spur of the moment because I'm always filling the diary up.

I live on my own in London. I normally get up around 10, have coffee, read paper etc. till around 12. I often eat quite late, after evening activities. I watch a bit of TV around other evening stuff, read quite a bit, and listen to audio books while walking and at the gym.
Monday: Some life admin stuff first thing. Swim at my local gym, home to get changed, then local residents’ meeting.
Tuesday: Get up a bit earlier to do a couple of hours of contract work. Then a bit of shopping locally, lunch. Walked for an hour and a half to a political event, and then got a bus home.
Wednesday: Phone calls for work during the morning, then lunch. Walked to the theatre for a matinee, then home again. Walked to the concert hall for an evening concert, then home again.
Thursday: Two long Teams meetings, one morning, one afternoon. Then walked for an hour and a half to a function at a museum. Tube home.
Friday: Big supermarket shop (there and back by bus), plus some local shopping. Lunch, a couple of hours work, then an hour’s walk to a comedy gig. Tube home.
Saturday: Housework - I do a weekly blitz. Then an hour in the gym, then straight to the local theatre for a show. Walk home.
Sunday: Up early for church and a bit of shopping on the way home. Walk over to my daughter’s house for a natter, then walk home again. A couple of hours contract work before bed.

@ifonly4
I wouldn’t worry too much about the posters who say you say they would be bored with your life as you need to do what’s right for you.

DH retired at 57 when our children were still in primary school so he did a lot of childcare and running around. I retired 9 years later at 58.
Children are adults now .
What strikes me a bit about your posts is there's a lot of doing stuff together. I think it's easy to get bored with each other if you spend too much time doing things together.
We have a long walk once a day and eat dinner together every day but otherwise do separate things majority of the time. When I first retired I did a lot of volunteering, not so much now.
I meet someone for lunch once a week. Pilates classes, line dancing classes, gym, garden, sewing, craft group, reading.
I do get bored sometimes especially if I'm ill but one thing I am never bored with is not working.

I think that in order to be content in retirement you have to love your own company and be happy to just "be".

There can be a lot of stress involved in filling time and trying to find things to "do". Boredom is not awful, it teaches you things about yourself and makes you think of what you might do differently. We don't have time for that before retirement.

I'm 14 years into a great retirement that I took earlier than most. I didn't plan anything, I just went with the flow and thoroughly enjoyed not having to do anything or be anywhere on someone else's dime. I do enough to keep me very happy, but I don't plan like a military campaign either. I roughly sketch out my week, vaguely select the weeks I want to go away, check for concert dates, and so on. I live alone too which might make a difference to my outlook, I don't know!

Basically I'm very content, never bored - even if I've nothing arranged, which is often!, and the key to it all I have to say is being in relatively good fettle, get regular exercise outdoors, have a good mood, and being very financially secure.

I consider myself to be very very fortunate. That's another blessing.

I'd have an existential crisis if that was my week/decades left on earth, but you're probably better adjusted than me and can manage being in the moment. I can't imagine not having more of a goal/project/purpose to drive me and would soon get very 'what's it all for?'. You're lucky if your mind doesn't do that and this level of stimulation is enough.

I'm not going to lie, I see shopping and cleaning as getting in the way of my retired life, not part of it. I bloody hate it.

I try and plan these things on days to get it over and done with or on rainy days or two birds with one stone kinda thing.

I did also keep my 7am alarm on for nearly 4 years after retiring, I only turned it off last summer. I had it just to remind myself I could now ignore it. Bliss. I usually try and get up around 9 if I can.

I retired early at 58. I’ve got 2 horses so my days reviolve round them. After years of never having enough time to spend with them I am revelling in spending time pottering with them. Oh and lie ins (I get someone to put them in the field in the morning for me), I don’t think the luxury of tea in bed, and breakfast in bed will ever wear off.

I exercise loads, but it's not just exercise for exercise sake, I have clear goals for competitions I'm training for.

I also have a very big garden, which is an ongoing project and which I love.

Typically my midweek days follow the pattern:

Walk to gym. Either run or drills in the nearby park, followed by yoga or pilates. Or spin class followed by weights. Coffee after if freinds are also at the gym walk back via supermarket or library (my favourite place in the world).

Afternoons are either garden or some other household project (the house had been neglected in my overwhelmed last few years at work), although most weeks I also walk with a group one afternoon, and I do some casual/freelance work so will often work 1- 2 afternoons.

3 evenings a week I'm at my sports club where I am also a volunteer coach and kit manager.

Weekends are filled with friends and usually involve seeking a band and a sporting event.

My competitve sport also takes me away, all over Europe c. 1 weekend ever month or two.

In the winter when there's not so much to do in the garden, I aim to learn a new craft.

I know everyone says it, but I genuinely have no idea where I found rhe time to work.

I do think it's important to have a routine and a purpose.

The together thing struck me too.

As I was walking back from the gym this morning, enjoying the scenery and lost in my thoughts, it occurred to me that I'd be more "bored" or at least less relaxed if DP was with me. Not because he's boring or stressful but because just "being" in your own company brings its own kind of calm.

Company is great too, but planning things together all the time woukd be a problem for me.

Great thread OP, thanks for starting it. I'm late 50s and have been retired for a year. I'm at that point of reflecting on whether I have the right balance in my week so I'm going to have a good read of everyone's comments.

I live alone but spend the weekend with DP (still working and lives an hour away) so my week days are mine to organise. I need a little structure otherwise I'll faff about too much, but at the beginning I think I 'over structured' things and I'm trying to learn to enjoy the days with no commitments.

Monday to Friday I generally do a mix of the following:

Gym classes - two each on Monday and Friday with possibly one in between if it's too wet to get out walking. These are good as I see the same faces and we have a bit of a chat.
Walking - if the weather is nice I do this every day for 45 mins - hour. If wet, I don't bother.
Part time role - takes up approx 5 days/month, a couple of these are set days, the rest is more ad hoc. Good for keeping my brain challenged and also meeting new people.
Gardening - when the weather is nice I can spend full days just pottering in my fairly small garden. I love being there and it's great for wellbeing.
Visiting family in another part of the country every 6 weeks or so. This is likely to increase in future to support elderly parents.
Reading/watching TV (the latter mainly in the evening)
Visiting theatre or cinema in the afternoon - I really enjoy doing this but don't do it as often as I'd like.
Home improvements - generally have something needing doing in my old house.
Coffee/lunches with my DD or friends.

Stuff I'm thinking about, or intended to do but haven't yet:

Visits to museums and galleries
Solo travel
Cooking more
Some sort of 'course'. I'd love to do something in relation to history or history of art but can't find the right thing.

Sort out all my personal crap and papers

I scored the last one off the list because even on the rainiest of days I can't motivate myself to do it.

I was a bit nervous about retiring due to living alone, however I'm glad of that now. I think if I'd retired at the same time as a partner - whether live-in or not - it would have been easy to fall into a pattern of structuring days around each other and I feel blessed with the freedom at the moment. I know this might change in future though.

We are both retired from full-on careers. Financially comfortable and both are reasonably healthy.
We joined the U3a, and that keeps us busy as we are now both on the committee!
We are in a variety of groups, both separately and together, such as Dining Out, Tai Chi, book club, wine tasting, whisky tasting, Padel and Table Tennis, and we walk. We run a Garden Visits group in summer.

I also write and am working on a novel.

Once or twice a week, we eat out with friends.
.
We have a large family with grandchildren, and they keep us busy, too.

We rarely have a free day, but if we do, we go out and travel a lot.

We are really enjoying retirement and hope we can continue for many years, as someone once said, 'It is the best job I have ever had!'

2 months somewhere warm in the spring, 2 months somewhere warm in the autumn. 2 gym classes a weeek, one longer walk with friends. Baking, reading, garden, house maintenance takes up time. Also genealogy and visiting family in London and Scotland. Still have 1 adult child at home. Husband retired, but we have different exercise activities. 5 years in and very much enjoying it